Watch: Salvors Refloat Grounded Barge in San Juan Harbor
The barge Defiant was refloated from the Castillo San Felipe del Morro shoreline in San Juan Harbor, Wednesday at approximately 2:22 a.m., just before high tide.
Salvage crews and tugboat operators prepositioned three tugboats and completed all the preparations, including the pressurization of all cargo tanks, voids and compartments in the barge. The tugboat, Lobo Grande, successfully pulled the barge off the rocks with the assistance of the incoming tide.
An earlier attempt on Tuesday only moved the barge approximately 25-feet.
The barge is now moored at Pier 16.
“We would like to thank the Unified Command partners, the Puerto Rico government and all federal agencies who collaborated in this effort,” said Capt. Luis J. Rodríguez, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander and captain of the port. “Working together, each played a vital role in safeguarding the San Juan Port maritime transportation system, protecting the marine environment and ensuring the safety of all responders.”
“The removal of the 265-foot barge from the mouth of San Juan Bay was a highly complex and sensitive operation,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ray Lopez, Coast Guard unified commander for the Defiant barge grounding response. “The salvors understood the challenges and took all necessary precautions to ensure the safe removal of the barge, and its relocation to a facility for assessment and repair without incident. We are truly appreciative and grateful to all Unified Command partners, crews and personnel who took part in this effort. The excellent work and technical expertise from the salvors ensured a successful refloat."
Agencies and marine industry companies participating in this response: U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan, U.S. Coast Guard Salvage Engineering Response Team, Station San Juan, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Puerto Rico Ports Authority, Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau, San Juan Municipal Police, Fire Department, Puerto Rico Cultural Institute, Harbor Bunkering Corp., Donjon-SMIT.
